Structured voice interaction systems (systems that include structured audio prompts to which responses may be made either using voice or using one or more non-voice techniques) are a common feature in today's communication environments. People often interact with such systems to access information via the telephone or telephony-enabled devices. Structured voice interaction systems typically offer choices in the form of voice prompts, to which the caller responds by providing voice responses, and/or key presses that produce tones. Responding to one set of prompts may result in the system providing the caller with another set of prompts. In other words, the voice interaction system may be hierarchical (e.g. comprise levels of choices, inter alia, menus) and structured.
Systems with many levels may leave callers frustrated and/or confused, due to a bewildering variety of selections distributed over many levels. The audio menus presented by such systems are limiting as they are only able to present a small number of choices and a narrow range of relationships among entities. Another element contributing to frustration is that, even after several uses, much of the functionality provided by the system may remain unknown. This occurs with such systems because the only way to find out about the options associated with any selection is to choose that selection.